Read the full stored bill text
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 1 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to public records and meetings; 2
creating ss. 401.4661, 456.661, and 491.023, F.S.; 3
providing exemptions from public meetings requirements 4
for certain portions of meetings of the Interstate 5
Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, the Physician 6
Assistant Licensure Compact Commission, and the Social 7
Work Licensure Compact Commission, respectively; 8
providing an exemption from public records 9
requirements for recordings, minutes, and records 10
generated during exempt portions of such meetings; 11
providing for future legislative review and repeal of 12
the exemptions; providing a statement of public 13
necessity; providing a contingent effective date. 14
15
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
17
Section 1. Section 401.4661, Florida Statutes, is created 18
to read: 19
401.4661 The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel 20
Practice; public meetings and public records exemptions.— 21
(1) An emergency medical services personnel's personal 22
identifying information, other than his or her name, licensure 23
status, or licensure number, obtained from the coordinated 24
database described in Article XI of s. 401.466 and held by the 25
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 2 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
department or the board is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 26
24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution unless the state that 27
originally reported the information to the data system 28
authorizes the disclosure of such information by law. If 29
disclosure is so authorized, such information may be disclosed 30
only to the extent authorized by law of the reporting state. 31
(2)(a) Any meeting or a portion of a meeting of the 32
Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, the executive 33
committee, or other committee of the commission established in 34
Article X of s. 401.466, at which matters specifically exempted 35
from disclosure by federal or state law are discussed is exempt 36
from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution. 37
(b) Recordings, minutes, and records generated during an 38
exempt meeting or portion of such a meeting are exempt from s. 39
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution 40
(3) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset 41
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 42
on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal 43
through reenactment by the Legislature. 44
Section 2. Section 456.661, Florida Statutes, is created 45
to read: 46
456.661 Physician Assistant Licensure Compact Commission; 47
public meetings and public records exemptions.— 48
(1) A physician assistant's personal identifying 49
information, other than his or her name, licensure status, or 50
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 3 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
licensure number, obtained from the data system described in 51
Article VIII of s. 456.66, and held by the department or the 52
board, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the 53
State Constitution unless the state that originally reported the 54
information to the data system authorizes the disclosure of such 55
information by law. If disclosure is so authorized, such 56
information may be disclosed only to the extent authorized by 57
law of the reporting state. 58
(2)(a) Any meeting or a portion of a meeting of the 59
Physician Assistant Licensure Compact Commission, the executive 60
committee, or other committee of the commission established in 61
Article VII of s. 456.66, at which matters specifically exempted 62
from disclosure by federal or state law are discussed is exempt 63
from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution. 64
(b) Recordings, minutes, and records generated during an 65
exempt meeting or exempt portion of such a meeting are exempt 66
from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 67
Constitution. 68
(3) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset 69
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 70
on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal 71
through reenactment by the Legislature. 72
Section 3. Section 491.023, Florida Statutes, is created 73
to read: 74
491.023 Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact; public 75
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 4 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
records and meetings exemptions.— 76
(1) A social worker's personal identifying information, 77
other than the social worker's name, licensure status, or 78
licensure number, obtained from the data system, as described in 79
Art. XI of s. 491.022, and held by the department or the board 80
is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State 81
Constitution unless the state that originally reported the 82
information to the data system authorizes the disclosure of such 83
information by law. If disclosure is so authorized, such 84
information may be disclosed only to the extent authorized by 85
the law of the reporting state. 86
(2)(a) A meeting or a portion of a meeting of the Social 87
Work Licensure Compact Commission or the executive committee or 88
other committee of the commission, established in Article X of 89
s. 491.022, at which matters specifically exempted from 90
disclosure by federal or state law is exempt from s. 286.011 and 91
s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution. 92
(b) Recordings, minutes, and records generated during an 93
exempt meeting or portion of such a meeting are exempt from s. 94
119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 95
(3) This section is subject to the Open Government Sunset 96
Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed 97
on October 2, 2031, unless reviewed and saved from repeal 98
through reenactment by the Legislature. 99
Section 4. (1) The Legislature finds that it is a public 100
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 5 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
necessity that an emergency medical technician's, a paramedic's, 101
a physician assistant's, and a social worker's personal 102
identifying information, other than his or her name, licensure 103
status, or licensure number obtained from the coordinated 104
database and the data system, as described in Article XI of s. 105
401.466, Article VIII of s. 456.66, and Article XI of s. 106
491.022, Florida Statutes, respectively, and held by the 107
Department of Health, the Board of Medicine, the Board of 108
Osteopathic Medicine, or the Board of Clinical Social Work, 109
Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling be 110
made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and s. 24(a), 111
Article I of the State Constitution. Protection of such 112
information is required under the Emergency Medical Services 113
Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact, the Physician Assistant 114
Licensure Compact, and the Social Work Licensure Interstate 115
Compact. Without the public records exemption, this state will 116
be unable to effectively implement and administer the compact. 117
(2)(a) The Legislature further finds that it is a public 118
necessity that any meeting of the Interstate Commission for EMS 119
Personnel Practice, the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact 120
Commission, or the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission, or 121
the executive committee or other committee of such commissions, 122
held as provided in s. 401.466, s. 456.66, or s. 491.022, 123
Florida Statutes, respectively, in which matters specifically 124
exempted from disclosure by federal or state law are discussed 125
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 6 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
be made exempt from s. 286.011, Florida Statutes, and s. 24(b), 126
Article I of the State Constitution. 127
(b) The Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, 128
the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact Commission, and the 129
Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact require the closure of 130
any meeting, or portion of a meeting, held by the Interstate 131
Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, the Physician Assistant 132
Licensure Compact Commission, and the Social Work Licensure 133
Interstate Compact Commission, or the executive committee or 134
other committee of such commissions, if the presiding officer 135
announces in a public meeting that, in connection with the 136
performance of the commission's duties, the commission must 137
discuss certain sensitive and confidential subject matters. In 138
the absence of a public meetings exemption, this state would be 139
prohibited from becoming a member state of the compact. 140
(3) The Legislature further finds that it is a public 141
necessity that the recordings, minutes, and records generated 142
during a meeting held as provided in s. 401.466, s. 456.66, or 143
s. 491.022, Florida Statutes, which are exempt from public 144
meetings requirements, be made exempt from s. 119.07(1), Florida 145
Statutes, and s. 24(a), Article I of the State Constitution. 146
Release of such information would negate the public meetings 147
exemption. As such, the Legislature finds that the public 148
records exemption is a public necessity. 149
Section 5. This act shall take effect on the same date 150
CS/HB 695 2026
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb695-01-c1
Page 7 of 7
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
that HB 693 or similar legislation takes effect, if such 151
legislation is adopted in the same legislative session or an 152
extension thereof and becomes law. 153